Guide to the Scriptures

Heaven

The term heaven has two basic meanings in the scriptures. (1) It is the place where God lives and the future home of the Saints (Gen. 28:12; Ps. 11:4; Matt. 6:9). (2) It is the expanse around the earth (Gen. 1:1, 17; Ex. 24:10). Heaven is clearly not paradise, which is the temporary place for the faithful spirits of those who have lived and died on this earth. Jesus visited paradise after His death on the cross, but on the third day, He informed Mary that He had not yet been to the Father (Luke 23:39–44; John 20:17; D&C 138:11–37).